Ford India it aims to accelerate export of India made-Figo to 50 international markets by this year end, from current 34. The Figo has helped Ford India not only increase its market share in the indian market but also has helped improve its image by a large extent.
Ford also laid the cornerstone for a new billion dollar factory in India. The plant will have the capacity to manufacture 240,000 cars and 270,000 engines a year when it’s complete in 2014. The factory will produce cars for domestic consumers and for export.
Figo continues to be a favourite in export markets. The company has exported 2,389 units in March including to a new market– Lebanon, an official said, on the sidelines of foundation stone-laying ceremony of Ford’s integrated manufacturing facility here.
“We are exporting Figo to Mexico, Caribbean, UAE, and parts of North Africa. The vast majority goes to similar markets like India, as they too need small cars like India does,” President and Managing Director, Ford India, Michael Boneham said.
In addition to South Africa and Nepal, Figo is being shipped to countries like Angola, Bermuda, Ghana, Iraq, Liberia, Malawi, Madagascar, Mauritius, Nigeria, Senegal, Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
“We have already gone to 34 different countries and aim to export to 50 nations by end of this year, many of them being similar countries,” Boneham said. Ford is undergoing the largest growth in manufacturing capacity such as witnessed in last 40-50 years.
“Most of it is occurring in the Asia Pacific region, as new manufacturing lines are coming up in China, Taiwan, Thailand and at Sanand,” Boneham said, adding that the facility in Sanand will play a critical role in growth.
The Sanand facility, spread across 460 acres, has capacity of producing 2.40 lakh cars and 2.70 lakh engines a year. It has attracted 19 world class suppliers so far at the vendor park, coming up on a separate 150 acres of land.
